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CONTACT: Kevin Cantrell |
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AT&F Nuclear Inc. Opens One of First 100 Ton Nuclear Fabricating Facilities Built in Decades
With ASME N-stamp certifications already in hand, plant to handle clean-environment fabrication as well as welding and assembly
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CLEVELAND, OH — December 2, 2009 — AT&F Nuclear Inc., in coordination with its parent, The American Tank & Fabricating Company (AT&F), begins operations November 30 at its newly built AT&F Nuclear Fabrication Building, 12314 Elmwood Avenue, Cleveland, OH. The 32,000-square-foot building addition will be one of the first 100-ton crane capacity structures built in the United States in decades, representing AT&F's response to the emerging global nuclear new-build market, according to company officials. The facility will be used for the welding and assembly of nuclear components and the clean-environment fabrication of non-safety and safety-related metal components.
With its 18' x 15' assembly and inspection pit, the new facility is the physical capstone of the nuclear-fabricating strategy for AT&F, one of about 200 global companies with nuclear certification stamps from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. AT&F's six certifications stamps include NPT (fabrication of nuclear appurtenances and supports, including material dedication upgrades), N (nuclear vessels, pumps, valves, etc.) and NS (nuclear supports).
With this building, AT&F adds considerable manufacturing capacity to the 400,000 square feet it already utilizes. As an experienced Steel and Fabricating Service Center, AT&F handles the dedication, upgrading and processing of materials from carbon, HSLA (high strength low alloy) and stainless steel to exotic alloys such as Titanium, Niobium and Tantalum. It also offers welding technologies, metal forming and rolling, laser cutting, robotic contour beveling and more. The full list of AT&F Nuclear's fabricating capabilities can be accessed at Fabricating Capabilities.
Anticipating today's "global nuclear renaissance" while other companies allowed their certifications to lapse after the 1980s and 1990s, AT&F CEO Terry Ripich directed his company earlier this decade to complete the intensive process for certification as part of its effort to meet "compliance, capability and quality demands" placed upon nuclear fabrication.
"AT&F Nuclear has already earned a solid reputation as the source for reliable quality in nuclear fabrications," said Kevin Cantrell, Vice President-Business Development. "Customers have come to us for such key components as reactor internals, containment parts, pressure vessels and tanks, as well as radioactive-material containers. Nowhere else can they find our unique combination of equipment capabilities, professional staff and quality systems. We're seen as the ‘go-to guys' in difficult metal-processing and fabricating, whether the need is for a single part or for a complex build-to-print fabrication."
AT&F Nuclear's opening of its facility occurs as the building of nuclear facilities accelerates around the globe. According to the World Nuclear Association, a private-sector organization promoting peaceful uses of nuclear power, "With 30 reactors being built around the world today, another 90 or more planned to come online during the next 10 years, and over 200 further back in the pipeline, the global nuclear industry is clearly going forward strongly. Countries with established programs are seeking to replace old reactors as well as expand capacity, and an additional 25 countries are either considering or have already decided to make nuclear energy part of their power generation capacity."
With the worldwide demand for new nuclear power facilities has come a corresponding demand for quality components, Cantrell said. "Our response to those demands has been closely tied to N-stamp certification," he explained. "The process for ASME certification was rigorous, but N-stamp certification sets apart the manufacturers truly prepared to meet the demands of the nuclear energy market." According to one industry publication, approximately 500 U.S. companies carried nuclear stamps in the 1970s and 1980s. Interest in certification waned with the drop in construction of nuclear plants in the United States. Today, the number of U.S. manufacturers with ASME stamps is fewer than 100. Of those manufacturers, AT&F stands out as a holder of multiple ASME certifications and as a full-service fabricator.
"AT&F Nuclear is leveraging years of nuclear-fabricating technology and experience along with its investment in this new facility to serve this exciting market," Cantrell said. "We've been a valuable metal-processing and fabricating partner in the nuclear industry. Now we're able to serve the domestic and global nuclear markets even better."
"Creating a new 100-ton high-bay facility completely dedicated to serving the nuclear industry may be seen as a bold step," said AT&F President Michael Ripich, "but the market interest shown during construction indicates we are spot-on."
AT&F — A Tradition of Operational Excellence
As the parent company of AT&F Nuclear, AT&F emphasizes operational excellence as a Steel and Fabricating Service Center. A privately-held company, it has gained a second-to-none reputation through its delivery of steel products and metalworking technologies. Starting as a steel service partner in Cleveland in 1940, AT&F has grown to be the pacesetter in heavy industrial, energy and defense markets. AT&F's multiple facilities only begin to reflect the resources offered by its divisions:
- AT&F Steel Solutions offers vast experience in terms of steel supply, fabricating and materials processing.
- AT&F Nuclear Inc. delivers quality nuclear fabrications, taking its customers "from the Nuclear Renaissance to reality."
- AT&F Advanced Metals provides design, fabrication, inspection and repair of process equipment for corrosive environments using reactive metals and exotic alloys.
- AMTANK Armor LLC offers a unique combination of leading-edge manufacturing capabilities and composite armor technologies with an ongoing commitment to research and development.
- AT&F Global represents a 21st century commitment to serving the world's markets even more effectively through alliances and acquisitions.
AT&F's capabilities are wide-ranging, including laser cutting, high-definition plasma cutting, five-axis robotic plasma cutting, long and heavy press break forming, rolling up to 10" thick. In terms of welding, AT&F's technologies extend beyond MIG and TIG to include flux core, robotic, submerged arc and its unique hybrid-laser. Non-destructive testing ranges from radiographic testing and ultrasonic to X-ray, dye penetrant and magnetic particle. Heat-treat capabilities include anneal, normalize and stress-relief operations. Among other services are machining and assembly.
"We own a well-earned reputation as a designer and fabricator sought out by industries as diverse as heavy construction and new-build nuclear operations," Michael Ripich said. "We're experts in carbon steel, stainless steel, Titanium and more. Most important, we shape solutions for our customers. And to ensure all those markets are served as well as possible, we place a premium on our world-class workforce and our superlative vendor partnerships."
About American Tank & Fabricating: The American Tank and Fabricating Company (AT&F), a Steel and Fabricating Service Center, was founded in Cleveland in 1940. Now in its fourth generation of family management, the company serves a variety of heavy industrial, mining, power and defense markets. AT&F is major producer of components for construction cranes and mining equipment, structural sections for shipbuilding, nuclear power plant related components, specialty stainless steel fabrications as well as armor and armor vehicle systems. The Web site is http://www.atfco.com.
About AT&F Nuclear Inc.: A wholly-owned subsidiary of AT&F, AT&F Nuclear Inc. has actively cultivated its nuclear-fabricating experience over many years and continues to meet the demanding needs of the industry. From replacement parts to finished fabrications for new builds, AT&F Nuclear delivers the equipment, capacity and capabilities to meet the needs of the global energy market. For more information, click on http://www.atfnuclear.com .